Chevelle updates

[Xplantdad]

[ QUOTE ]
Look'in Good Eric.........


Ken

[/ QUOTE ]

I agree. Can't wait to see more!

[mrrec]

If this thing turns out like his carbs, it will be one large chunk-o-jewelry!
Dave

[CC Rider]

Looks great!

[VintageMusclecar]

Got the car back from alignment today. All that's basically left now (save for a few relatively minor details) is to get tags on it and call my insurance guy to activate my coverage so I can get it out & about and start working out the bugs.

Once I have the mechanicals and a few remaining interior details all dialed in, it's off to the body shop. (still trying to locate a better pass. side fender w/o having to go repop)

I keep trying to convince myself that this isn't as cosmetically challenged as it really is, but that it's really a "period correct vintage patina"...it isn't working

Ah well...I've driven uglier. (besides...ugly can be forgiven if a car hauls @$$ )

[VintageMusclecar]

[ QUOTE ]
I just finished putting up 3 more pages of updated pics & info...here's a sneak peek:



Eric

[/ QUOTE ]

Finally making some significant progress with this project despite innumerable delays courtesy of incorrect, or outright <u>JUNK</u> reproduction "restoration" parts.

(now that I've got that off my chest...)

The body and frame are once again reunited. What you see in the above pic now looks like this:



Here's what the other end looks like now:



Yes, that's snow the car's sitting in, but only for a moment as I had to push it outside to have enough light to take a somewhat-decent pic.

Anyhow...more parts are on their way in this week, and I still have a few more to order before the engine and trans are installed. On the "to order" list is a Stef's oil pan to replace the stocker that was exhibiting obvious oil control difficulties on the dyno, and a clutch kit to connect the mill to the Autogear-cased M20 Muncie.

With a few more parts crossed off the list before summer arrives, hopefully...hopefully this thing will be making noise once again. I'm hoping to have the mechanicals done by summer so the car will be road-worthy, but I strongly doubt the bodywork and paint will be done this year...too many other things in life taking up precious time, not to mention finances.

I'll have some more updates posted on my website in the next few weeks, I'll post up here once they're done.

Eric

[ORIGLS6]

"...too many other things in life taking up precious time, not to mention finances."


Something MANY of us can relate to.

[Xplantdad]

Looking great Eric!

[VintageMusclecar]

Well, it's finally alive. After sorting out some minor electrical gremlins in the ignition system, I got it lit up today, and I have to say that the Torque Tech 3" x-pipe exhaust system and Walker mufflers sounds absolutely fantastic...very quiet, but with a definite "note" to it.

No pictures to add right now, but I'll try to have some more updates on the website in the next few weeks or so as time permits.

Next on the list is to get the car back to the frame shop for a few minor tweaks to the RF frame horn. It's still slightly out of location, which is causing some minor core support &amp; bumper bracket alignment issues. Once that's addressed, the front end will be aligned and the car will get a little road time to work out the bugs before the body work &amp; paint begins.

Eric

[VintageMusclecar]

Since it's been almost a year since I last posted about the car, I figured it was time for another update.

Despite several valiant efforts to get my ducks in a row, the de-uglification of the car has yet to take place. So rather than let this expensive hunk of cosmetically challenged garage art sit any longer, I finally broke down and admitted defeat...I bought new tags and reinstated the insurance and got the car road-legal.

Up until today, I had driven the car for but one brief lap around the block. Needless to say there were numerous small glitches that were revealed in that little jaunt, but as of today all but three relatively minor issues appear to be resolved. (too-fast speedo, mis-adjusted shifter and the wipers aren't working for some reason)

To summarize;

It's been a while since I've driven a car that has this kind'a steam. Whew!

540-ish HP combined with bias plys, manual steering, a wide ratio Muncie and a 4.56 screw in the back makes for some lively jockeying in the front seat even during around-town driving. My daily driver ([`95] Sub)urban assault vehicle has apparently left me somewhat spoiled.

Smooth take-offs from an intersection are somewhat difficult to perform w/o chirping the tires through 1st gear...even moreso when going around a corner. Gonn'a take some practice there.

Once on the road and settled down at 35 mph or so, it rolls along quite pleasantly considering the archaic rolling stock and squishy CE drag shocks.

In the interest of keeping both the car and my drivers license intact, I only lightly got after the throttle one time. A quick 1st gear rolling blip to ~1/2 throttle immediately sent the tach to 6K and the L60's up in a haze, and a quick shift into 2nd resulted in more of the same.

Traction??? Pfffttt....yeah, right. I've got my work cut out for me in that department.

In a nutshell, this thing's an animal.

As of now the battery is on the charger getting topped off and I'm on the hunt for a solution to the speedo issue. I may take it out again some tonight or tomorrow, and there's a local cruise-in on wednesdays that I haven't been to in ages, so I might take the car out to that.

But it'll get parked on the outskirts of the parking lot.

More eventually...
Eric

[markinnaples]

pics? or does it look exactly the same?

sounds like a fun and exciting ride.